Dietary fibers are complex carbohydrate polymers found in plants, which are not digested by the human digestive system, and the fibers are broadly divided into water-soluble and water-insoluble groups. Although dietary fiber is not considered an essential nutrient, a high dietary fiber intake may reduce the risk of several chronic diseases. A diet having 20-35 grams of dietary fiber a day is highly recommended. However, a typical diet of Western countries tends to provide sufficiently less than the recommended amount of dietary fiber. As a result, a variety of dietary fiber supplements are commercially available. Although powder dietary fiber products are available, which are dissolved in water or other liquid drink, such products are not easily portable and may not be a desirable way to ingest the fiber for some.
There are different forms of edible products that are designed as supplementary source of dietary fibers. For example, snack bars, cereal and cookies that contain dietary fibers are commercially-available. Additionally, chewable tablets and swallowable pills containing dietary fibers are available. A chewable tablet is a highly desirable mode for delivering dietary fibers since it is easily portable and can be ingested without the need of an ingestion aid, e.g., water. However, a chewable tablet must have agreeable organoleptic properties.
One example of a chewable fiber tablet is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,068. The patent discloses a chewable product that contains inulin or fructooligosaccharide fiber and is produced by compression molding a dry mixture of dry blended ingredients including inulin or fructooligosaccharide. Although fiber tablets can be produced as taught by the patent, the dry compression process does not always provide organoleptically agreeable chewable products when dietary fibers other than the disclosed dietary fibers are used.